Fighting Fate
by LysCat
Summary: After being saved by the rangers, Kim and Tommy come face to face for the first time since she sent him the letter.  It's time for them to talk about the situation and find closure.


Title: Fighting Fate  
>Author: Alysia<br>Couple(s): Mainly Tommy/Kim interact, but there is mention of Tommy/Kat.  
>Summery: After being rescued by the rangers, Kimberly comes face to face with Tommy for the first time since she mailed him the letter and decides to come clean.<br>Disclaimer: I don't own any characters familiar to the franchise.  
>Author's Note: So, I've been reading some TK fiction and I've rediscovered my love for them. My adolescent self hated the way that Tommy and Kim ended. I wish I was writing something more upbeat and had a better explanation for why Kim did what she did, but in my story, she's human and humans make mistakes.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm exhausted," Adam Park voiced, letting out a weary sigh.

Around the table the Power Rangers, both old and new grumbled along their agreement. "Perhaps we can catch up tomorrow, when everything's settle?" Katherine Hillard suggested. She had wanted to catch up with Jason, but she was growing uncomfortable with the way her boyfriend's eyes never trailed far from the first Pink Ranger.

"Sounds good," Tanya Sloan agreed as everyone began dispersing.

Katherine watched as her teammates trickled out one by one from the Juice Bar. Until it was just Jason Scott, Kimberly Hart and Tommy Oliver who remained seated at the table. The Pink Ranger frowned at the way things ended up. How could her boyfriend just sit there calmly next to the girl that broke his heart? And how dare Kim continue sitting there as though she had right to be by his side!

"If you guys are going to catch up, maybe I can stay too?" She asked. The tone of her voice was light, but having spent so much time with Tommy and Jason, she knew that they could easily read her mood. She was more than uncomfortable leaving Kim almost alone with Tommy. Yes, part of the reason was because of the way that Kim had seemingly so ruthlessly tore his heart out. On the other hand, it had taken months for Tommy to really let Kat in. After months of caution and slow displays of affection, she and Tommy had finally shared themselves in the final act of love, and she didn't want that all ripped away because of Kim's presence.

Jason, taking a closer look at Tommy and Kim, noticed how neither said anything. In fact, since they won the competition, Tommy had yet to really say anything. Not to say that Tommy was a normally chatterbox, but his movements were stilted…as though he was trying to fold in upon himself. Kim too seemed out of sorts. His usually bright and cheery friend was more down trodden. She refused to look in Tommy's direction, but she knew that she needed to at least speak to him in private.

"You know, I think catching up is something we can do with everyone else," Jason replied. "It's been quite a while since Tommy and Kim have spoken. Perhaps it's time to let her shed some light on certain situations?" The observation sounded like a question, but it was far from one. Kim had managed to put such a distance between herself and Tommy, that after a year of trying to placate both sides just exhausted him and the rest of his friends. It was about time that they sat down together and had it out…no matter the outcome.

Kat looked at the three people that occupied the table. First, her eyes landed on Tommy, who had yet to take his eyes off Kimberly since Jason suggested they talk. Next to him, Kimberly sat rigidly, her eyes bugged out of her head and she looked to Jason in silent plea, begging him not to leave her alone with Tommy. Finally, there was Jason. Kat narrowed her eyes and glared at the former Ranger. How dare he try and set them up to be alone?

Jason didn't like incurring the wrath of any woman…but female rangers were at the top of that list. They were Rangers for a reason, and after fighting side by side with them; they could be downright scary. However, he refused to wither under Kat's glare. Whether she liked it or not, she knew that he was right. Despite the fact that Kim had broken up with him, she was still very much a part of Tommy's thoughts and dreams. Even when he moved on with Kat, it was like he brought the shadow of Kim with him.

"Perhaps this isn't the best time for this…" Kim said weakly. She'd have to be blind not to notice the glares that her replacement gave her. If only the statuesque blonde knew that she still held a burning torch for Tommy, she'd be dead on the spot.

"Before you left Angel Grove to follow you dreams," the end came out as a sneer, "I never took you for a chicken shit."

"How dare you say a word to me, Thomas Oliver! You have no idea the kind of things I've been going through this past year," she spat at him.

"What, the real world get too hard for you, Kimmy?" Tommy taunted back. "You were the one who wanted to leave…"

Kim stood up, knocking her chair back as she hit the table with the palm of her hand. "I didn't want to leave," she exclaimed. For months she kept that feeling bottled up inside. Back then, she had no trouble letting her dream go, not if she got to keep Tommy in the process. "You guys are the one that ushered me to the door, promising that things wouldn't change."

"And look how that came back and bit us in the ass."

Kat and Jason looked from one person to the other, following the argument like they would follow a tennis match. From the outskirt of the area, Tanya winced and shook her head. This was something that Kim and Tommy should have been doing alone. They shouldn't be there watching, her especially. She didn't know Kim personally, and she already knew much more than she was sure the first Pink Ranger was comfortable with.

Stepping forward, Katherine approached her boyfriend. "Okay, well…as much fun as you look like you're going to have…" After hearing the things that Tommy said to Kim, she wasn't quite so worried about the direction things might turn to. Leaning down, she cupped his cheek and kissed him as deeply as she could. It was an out of character move for her to make, but she needed to make sure that Kim knew where they stood.

Crossing her arms over her chest, Kim sighed. "You know Kat, next time you want to declare ownership, you could just pee on him…"

Jason, but his cheek to keep from laughing at the remark. He could see Tanya cover her amusement by coughing. Approaching the embracing couple, he pulled on Kat's arm, dragging her out of the building behind him. In the last year, he tried not to chose side between his two closest friends, but seeing Tommy happy with Kat made him sympathize more with Kim…even if she was the one to change things.

"So, you and Kat, huh?" Kim asked after a pregnant pause, wanting to make sure they were actually alone before any other insults were traded.

"Tell me how that's any of your business," Tommy replied, watching as she righted her chair and once again sat down. "After all, the last time I heard from you, you told me I was like a brother."

Kim winced. "About that, I…I'm really sorry."

Tommy scoffed. "Great! You're sorry. So that makes twisting my heart out of my chest and then stomping on it, okay."

"I didn't think that you would react so badly," Kim whispered.

"Kim, you were my girlfriend! How dopey was I to just walk around thinking that when my first love left, that we could make a long distance relationship last? Fuck, I knew it wasn't easy…but I thought we were okay."

"Okay? It had been three weeks since you had last called me, a month and a half since I'd received a letter from you…and you thought we were okay? Really?" She knew that Tommy could be dense at times, but he seriously had to be kidding.

Upon the chastising, he looked away. Yes, he had taken her for granted and hadn't kept in touch with her the way he should have; but that didn't mean the love he felt for her diminished in any way. "It's not like I didn't have a good excuse. We were saving the world."

Kim narrowed her eyes at him and arched a single eyebrow. "Don't try that excuse, Tommy. I've been there too. I know what it's like to have a higher calling. I…I didn't blame you for it, resented it maybe; but not blame." During that last month, it was like whenever she would call Tommy, he was either heading out or coming back from Ranger business. The last time that she did manage to catch him, Tommy's mother informed her that Kat was over and they were studying. From across the line, she heard of the conversation, Kat's preening and their laughter. That one moment hit her hard.

"Do you know that your letter just about killed me?" Tommy asked.

"Do you realize that it just about killed me to write it?" She shot back. "Tommy, I…there was never anyone else, at least not in the way that you think. There's only been one person I've ever loved…you." In a moment of weakness, she let all the pressure and self doubts get to her. She ended things before he could, because she was so sure that's what was going to happen.

"Excuse me?" Months ago, he'd have been over the moon to hear that confession, but not anymore. The one thing he wanted most, or thought he had, was finally coming true and he wanted nothing more than throw up. "You have no right saying that. Not now!"

Kim nodded. "I know. I…I guess that I just couldn't handle not seeing you anymore." He was angry, and she was smart enough to know that if she confessed she hoped for a second chance with him, he'd flip his lid.

Tommy shook his head. "You can't say that to me, and expect me to be okay about it. I'm not the same person anymore. I'm not going to just…fall at your feet. I'm with Kat now."

Kimberly snorted. "So I was witness to," she muttered darkly, her eyes beginning to sting with unshed tears.

His eyes flashed in anger. "You're the one that ended things, Kim…not me." How dare she be jealous when she was the one that put them in the situation the first place? "For months I wished for nothing more than this moment. We would finally come face to face and you'd tell me it was all a lie and I'd become your white knight again and we'd ride off into the sunset." Unbeknownst to him, the same scenario haunted her dreams. "I suppose God must have taken pity on me, because I finally opened my eyes and noticed the gem that was right next to me. I slowly fell in love with Kat…"

Another tear rolled down her cheek. This time she didn't bother to wipe it away. In all their time apart, she still loved him more than anything. Hearing him talk about his feelings for her replacement was slowly killing her; despite trying to prepare herself for it.

A burst of satisfaction spread through Tommy. He couldn't deny the pleasure he felt upon seeing her cry over his relationship with Kat. "When you ended things, it's like you…took a part of me with you. I finally feel whole again because of Katherine and her unfailing love and support. Two years ago, if someone had told me I'd find love with someone other than you, I'd have laughed them off. I was able to come back…and I shared more with her then I ever did with you."

Kim winced, but didn't tell him to stop. Instead she wrapped an arm around her body let his words sink in. He had every right to feel that way and lash out to her. She had done a really shitty thing to him.

It wasn't long before the pleasure he was feeling against seeing her come apart fade away. He shouldn't have done that. At one time, Kim was the most important person in his life, he once thought of her as his other half. Never once would he have gotten off on reveling in her pain, not even during the darkest point in his life; when he was the evil Green Ranger. "Why are you here, Kim? Why now?" He had been fine. Sure there would still be the occasional dream about the petite girl sitting before him, but he had finally chased away the demons. He finally moved on…fully. Maybe the relationship that he shared with Kat wasn't nearly as intense as the one he and Kim had, he still cared deeply for the blonde. For him, it had been a work in progress. He couldn't imagine loving someone the way he loved Kim, and maybe he never would…but Kat had pulled away all his layers. She fought by his side, for him, helped heal him…he would always be thankful for that.

"Things didn't work out in Florida," Kim replied softly. A lone tear traveled down her cheek before she brushed it away. She wanted to cry for the dream that she'd lost, but that wasn't it. She'd given up so much to pursue that dream, and now…it was like she'd endured all that pain for nothing.

"What happened?"

"I lost my drive for gymnastics. I had no one to share it with. I was…am…struggling to find myself after giving up my power coin. I broke up with the only guy I ever loved and alienated myself from my friends. My parents could care less about me…it's like it all just festered into this huge…clusterfuck, and I couldn't break free from it." After sending the letter to the Juice Bar, she pulled away from her friends. Yes, they had been her friends, but they were Tommy's teammates, and she was sure that they were going to chose his side over hers. She hadn't even really spoken to Zack or Trini. The first time she'd spoken to Jason was just weeks ago. In fact, their little trip to Angel Grove was their chance to start again and find their way back to each other.

"That's really shitty, Kim. I'm sorry that it didn't work out," Tommy apologized, and he truly meant it. She'd gone off in search of herself and instead, she lost herself eve more.

Tucking her hair behind her ears, Kim smiled uneasily. "I…don't know where to go from here, except to grow from it. I came back so that I could put this behind me, apologize and…try to learn from my mistakes."

"That's…good," he stuttered, unsure of what to say. With everything off his chest, he was more resigned than anything. Now that he said what he needed to, all the pent up anger left. He didn't know what that meant, but he was going to look forward to not feeling that day in and out.

"Do you think that maybe we could…ever, even in the most minuscule way, be friends again?" Kim asked. She wasn't ever sure why she asked, because she was positive that she already knew the answer to that. She'd burnt a lot of bridges by mailing that letter and then pulling away from everyone. She knew it was going to take time to try and make amends with them.

Looking at the hopeful expression on Kim's face, Tommy wanted nothing more than to comply with that question. He no longer wanted to hurt the girl before him, but he knew that was what he was going to do. "Maybe someday, Kim," he hedged carefully. "And I know your reasons for doing what you did, but I can't imagine ever being able to hand over my trust or heart to you in the distant future."

Kim forced a smile onto her face. Yeah, she expected as much.

Tommy stood up. They hadn't been talk too long, but he was certain that his girlfriend must have been going crazy. "We should probably go."

Kim stood up as well. "You should go, check on Katherine, I think I'm gonna hang around here for a bit. My nerves are still too raw to let me do anything that resembles sleep."

"You and Jason leaving tomorrow?" Tommy asked, certain he heard Jason mention something like that earlier in the evening.

"Tomorrow night."

"What are you gonna do then?"

Kim just shrugged, trying to keep up a brave persona. While she had expected him to turn down her offer to be friends, she had wished for the opposite. She wanted an excuse to stay in Angel Grove, to be with him…a part of his life (whether it was in a platonic way or not). "I…don't really know. I've tried living my life by the rules, and I'm not very happy with the way things played out," she tried to down play. Her heart was breaking all over again. "Just call me a leaf on the wind." Since she'd quit her training, she'd also lost out on finishing her classes. She'd already fallen too far behind to catch up with everyone else. She knew the first thing she would strive for, would be getting her GED. Other than that, she had no definite plans.

"Whatever you do…wherever you find yourself, I hope you find happiness," Tommy wished. "I mean look at the way my life has turned out. It wasn't what I always thought it would be, but I have no complaints."

Kim stepped closer to him and reached out to brush hair away from his face, cupping his cheek when she finished.

His eyes closed and he found himself leaning into the touch. It was almost the same way she touched him before she left.

"I…I love you Tommy Oliver," she had since the first moment she laid eyes on him. Leaning on her tip toes, she kissed his cheek, the side of his mouth really. "I wish this could all be differently, I wish that so badly."

When he opened his eyes, his vision was blurry and his eyes stung. "Kim…" She'd already left him twice, but never before did it ever feel so final. It came out in a tortured whisper, but it conveyed every single emotion he was feeling in that moment; love, anger, pain, closure, insecurity and regret.

"I hope that you get everything you ever wanted in life," she added before she spun away from him. "Just…go…now. Go to Kat." She didn't bother hiding the sobs that wracked her tiny frame.

It took all of his will power to walk away from Kim in that moment. Her sobs became louder and he never felt like such an asshole as he did in that moment. He wished that he could let her back in his life, but he didn't trust her, aside from that he was afraid that one day he might grow to resent her for taking control of their fates the way she had.

Kim could vaguely hear the sound of footsteps fading away. She wanted nothing more than to beg him for forgiveness and run back into his arms, but she held fast against the urge. When she heard the front door of the Juice Bar open and close, her legs went out from under her. It was poetic in a way. She was in this place when she laid eyes on Tommy for the first time. It was Ernie's place that she spent so much time in with both her friends and Tommy. This was the place where she spent her last few moments before leaving for Florida, the place where she ended their relationship…and now, it was the place when she hammered the final nail in the coffin that was everything that ever existed between herself and Tommy.

She wasn't sure how long sat there crying her eyes out before she felt a pair of arms come around her. She didn't need to look at the person to know who it was. They were the same pair of arms that had offered her solace since they were young kids. "How did you know?"

Jason squeezed her harder and placed a tender kiss on the crown of her head. "Tommy called, said you needed me."

The End…


End file.
